Think you know Dyngus Day? Prove it

Dyngus Day is Monday. So, here is a quiz to test the knowledge of those who have attended many a Dyngus Day celebration. And for the education of those who never heard of such a thing. Mark true or false. 1. Dyngus Day is named for Saint Dyngus, a Polish saint whose heroic efforts at mass christenings in pagan times led to his martyrdom. 2. Roots of Dyngus Day go back to the coming of Christianity to Poland in 966. 3. In Poland, Monday-after-Easter observances featured crowning young maidens with jeweled tiaras and burning of willow branches to ward off evil. 4. In Poland, Monday-after-Easter observances featured dousing young maidens with water and whacking their legs with willow branches. 5. Back in Poland, dousing got carried too far in the old days, with young girls tossed in icy ponds, resulting in the bishop of Poznan issuing, in 1420, a "Dingus Prohibetur," forbidding such dangerous conduct. 6. In this country, only in the South Bend area is there such a thing as Dyngus Day. 7. Dyngus Day is big also in such places as Buffalo, N.Y., where a Web site for the celebration says it lasts a week and claims the city as "Dyngus capital of the world." 8. Dyngus Day often is likened to St. Patrick's Day because both involve ethnic traditions and foods, celebrating that often includes liquid refreshments and the attitude that: "Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day and everybody is Polish on Dyngus Day." 9. Dyngus Day often is likened to Groundhog Day because both involve frightening shadows. 10. Kielbasa is Polish for Polish sausage. 11. Kielbasa, the favorite food at Dyngus events, is made with the leanest of choice cuts of meat and is low-fat, low-cholesterol. 12. If you want to enjoy the tasty kielbasa, it is best not to question how it is made or to inquire about the fat or cholesterol content. 13. The center for Dyngusing in the South Bend area is the West Side Democratic & Civic Club on the city's west side. 14. Dyngus Day has become a political as well as social event, with candidates passing out their campaign materials, seeking support and trying to act friendly. 15. Although the West Side Democratic & Civic Club is a must stop for Democratic candidates who are introduced to the crowd at noon, Republican candidates, will be welcome as well on Monday, although they won't be introduced during the program. 16. Any Republican candidate who enters the West Side Club is doused with water and whacked with willow branches. 17. Father Leonard Chrobot, who offers a traditional blessing at the West Side Club, dispenses holy water with a broom, sprinkling the crowd and often noting that a whole lot of water is needed for politicians and the news media. 18. Father Chrobot, a serious student of Dyngus Day and Polish history, notes that the celebrations on that day in Poland can only be understood in the context of the sacrificing there during Lent. 19. The largest throng ever for Dyngus Day in South Bend was in 1968, when Bobby Kennedy was campaigning here for president. 20. Although the date of Easter varies, it is always possible to determine that date in any year because it always is the Sunday before Dyngus Day. 21. The traditional dance at Dyngus Day celebrations is the waltz. 22. Former Gov. Joe Kernan is promoting a Dyngus Hall of Fame, to be financed by sponsors and not costing taxpayers anything. 23. Gov. Mitch Daniels is pushing for privatization of Dyngus Day, with the celebration to be run for 75 years by a North Korean-Iranian consortium that would keep all the profits but with an initial lease payment going to subsidize Dyngus celebrations in Indianapolis and along the Ohio River. 24. The spirit of Dyngus means that everybody of any race, creed, ethnic heritage, status in life or background is welcome, with the possible exception of any governor who has sold operation of the Toll Road. 25. Dyngus Day spelled backward is Yad Sugnyd, which means "good luck" in Polish. 26. The favorite song for the holiday begins, "In your Dyngus bonnet, with all the frills upon it, you'll be the grandest lady in the Dyngus Parade." 27. African Americans have built their own Dyngus Day tradition, calling their observance Solidarity Day. 28. Former residents of the South Bend area, missing the conviviality of Dyngus Day, have established Dyngusing in such places as Anchorage, Alaska, and Miami, Florida. ANSWERS: 1. F, 2. T, 3. F, 4. T, 5. T, 6. F, 7. T, 8. T, 9. F, 10. T, 11. F, 12. T, 13. T, 14. T, 15. T, 16. F, 17. T, 18. T, 19. T, 20. T, 21. F, 22. F, 23. F, 24. T, 25. F, 26. F, 27. T, 28. T. Jack Colwell is a columnist for The Tribune. Write to Colwell in care of The Tribune or by e-mail at jcolwell@comcast.net.